A pint of milk certainly doesn’t seem like a lot, so I wonder why they 
delivered such a small size.  In our house we go through three large Costco 
bottles a week.  (These are the rectangular four-liter bottles that Costco 
fills with only one US gallon.)  

 

Carleton

 

From: owner-u...@colostate.edu [mailto:owner-u...@colostate.edu] On Behalf Of 
Ken Cooper
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 10:46
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:43408] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!

 


Along with practically every other specified quantity, milk package sizes are 
being deregulated in the UK on 11th April. 

 

http://www.nwml.gov.uk/fileuploads/Docs/Legislation/SFQ/Government_Response_on_Specified_Quantities_for_Pre-packages_Jan_09.pdf

 

and

 

http://www.nwml.gov.uk/fileuploads/Docs/Legislation/SFQ/Guidance_for_Business_on_Specified_Quantities_for_Pre-packages_Jan_09.pdf

 

To be honest, I expect the packers who currently use returnable containers to 
continue to use the same bottles. I would point out, however, that this sector 
has been in decline for many years. Here's the Office of Fair Trading's 
viewpoint on the sector:-

 

"Doorstep delivery has declined for a number of years, while the retail supply 
of milk has increased. For example, the rate of doorstep decline was 19 per 
cent for the 12 weeks to 29 February 2004 according to TNS Superpanel data. 
This would suggest that switching from doorstep to other forms of supply has 
taken place, and since these changes appear to continue, that such switching 
would remain a competitive constraint on doorstep deliveries.."

 

I would further point out that milk in returnable containers is not available 
anywhere in my locality. The last local deliveryman went out of business nearly 
10 years ago.

 

 

 

The vast majority of milk sold in the UK is packed in metric measure in 
non-returnable containers. Some of the prescribed measures used are the metric 
equivalent of imperial measures, but the milk is packed by reference to metric 
measure.

 

Reading previous postings to this site might lead you to believe that all UK 
milk is sold in imperial measure, but this impression has been fostered by 
careful use of half-truths.

 

For example, "Fresh'n'Lo" & "Cravendale" advertise extensively in the UK. Both 
these companies sell in rounded metric amounts. As far as I am aware, 
Cravendale use 1 litre & 2 litre non-returnable plastic containers only. 
Fresh'n'lo use similar 1, 2 & 3 litre containers, and also do a 500ml waxed 
cardbard pack.

 

Neither firm produce "rounded imperial" packages.

 

There are many other firms (including major supermarket chains) that already 
pack in rounded metric quantities. Remember that current UK law permits the 
following prescribed quantities

 

189 – 200 – 250 – 284 – 500 – 750 – multiples of 284 and 500. Exempt: 50 ml or 
less. 


Its only the highly misleading half-truths perpetuated by extreme pro-imps that 
has led to the mistaken belief that UK milk production is in imperial. 

 

The vast majority is packed in metric, and some (probably a good majority) is 
marked in both systems. The packages that are marked in both systems are ALWAYS 
measured in metric.

 

I don't really see the abolition of prescribed quantities changing this, but 
will be interested to see the effect of the law changes on the status of the 
pint for draught beer & milk in returnable containers. The new regulations will 
be published in the near future.

 

 


--- On Sat, 3/7/09, Jeremiah MacGregor <jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com> wrote:


From: Jeremiah MacGregor <jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Re: [USMA:43383] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!
To: k_cooper1...@yahoo.com, "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009, 4:37 AM

Ken,

 

Are you telling us that in April the requirement to use the pint for returnable 
milk containers will be no longer?  Even though I don't expect those who still 
use the 568 mL size to go to other sizes over night, would you expect that over 
time there could be a gradual shift to the 500 mL (or other size) container?

 

 

 

Jerry  

 


  _____  


From: Ken Cooper <k_cooper1...@yahoo.com>
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 6, 2009 7:53:15 PM
Subject: [USMA:43383] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!


Well Steve, you might as well mention the "pint" as a UK measure for all these 
products for one last time!

 

Have you "forgotten" that the majority of prescibed quantities (apart from 
draught beer) are being abolished in April? That's odd, because I've definitely 
pointed it out to you.........

 

I fail to see your point regarding baby food & liquid fuel. Both are sold by 
reference to metric measure in the UK. I can provide references to legislation 
or to practical examples if you want. Is your reference to "descriptively" just 
meant to be an admission that they are not used for quantitative terms?

 

I will agree that a few UK pubs defy UK law by describing soft drinks by the 
half pint. So what? Is it common? Do the pubs that do it subscribe to the views 
of yourself or other anti-metric zealots? Do you consider this to be a demand 
to return to outdated measurement units?

 

I would love to see your proof that fl. oz. are common meaures in UK pubs, 
however. As far as I'm aware, that stopped in 1996. That's 13 years ago! Please 
expand upon your theories!

 

But yes. On one point you are right. The UK doesn't tend to use the quart. 
Especially the 946ml quart. It has never existed in the UK.

 

But the 1.136 litre milk bottle has NEVER been marked as a quart in the UK 
within my memory. That's because imperial doesn't tend to be marked in the UK 
any more. And if it is, it doesn't tend to be quarts or fl oz.

 

I'll look forward to your reply :):):)

 



--- On Fri, 3/6/09, Stephen Humphreys <barkatf...@hotmail.com> wrote:


From: Stephen Humphreys <barkatf...@hotmail.com>
Subject: [USMA:43369] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Date: Friday, March 6, 2009, 11:48 PM

Except for pints of milk, beer and pints used descriptively. 

Fl Oz in recipes, baby drink preps

gallons in miles per gallon.

Fl Oz for soft drinks at the pub

 

We don't tend to use quarts though -maybe that's where you're entire argument 
rests.

  _____  

Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 15:41:05 -0800
From: jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com
Subject: [USMA:43367] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!
To: usma@colostate.edu

My guess is that it is provided for the American tourists.  Most Americans 
don't know a British version exists and those who are British don't need 
imperial conversions as they are already fully conversant in metric...  As you 
already know British volume measures (except for the pint in limited 
applications) are dead.  

 

Jerry  

 


  _____  


From: Ken Cooper <k_cooper1...@yahoo.com>
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 2, 2009 5:39:35 PM
Subject: [USMA:43336] USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!


One of my local hotels hands out small diaries as new year gifts to 
customers/visitors etc.

 

I note that this year's version has a section entitled "conversions" underneath 
the time-zones map.

 

I was intrigued to note that it had different sections for dry & for liquid 
measure, and that the liquid measure gave conversions for fluid ounce, quart & 
gallon - but not for pint.

 

On closer examination, I found that the fluid ounce was defined as 29 and a bit 
millilitres, the quart as ~946ml & the gallon as ~3.79 litres.... 

 

Now, as everyone knows, these figures would be correct in USC, but are all 
incorrect in UK imperial.

 

I'll lay odds that practically no-one actually noticed though. Can I suggest 
that this shows the irrelevancy of imperial liquid measure in the UK? People 
recognise an imperial pint in the pub, but appear to be unable to relate it to 
the smaller (fl. oz.) & larger (gallon) measures in the system.

 

What point is there in perpetuating a system where the majority of people don't 
understand it any more?

 

 

 

  _____  

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